It is a bit of an oxymoron to say I have a recipe for Gluten-Free Graham Crackers because graham flour is not gluten-free. It is almost like saying I have a wonderful recipe for gluten-free whole-wheat bread, which I do, and you can check it out here: Gluten-Free Whole Wheat Bread. This last September I attended a bloggers conference in Seattle called IFBC. One evening we were treated to a complete gluten-free meal at the Stumbling Goat Bistro in Seattle. If you ever visit Seattle, be sure to check out this little bistro. It is known as one of Seattle’s best kept secrets. During our meal they served a small gluten-free cracker that was absolutely fantastic! It had a slight resemblance to the taste of a graham cracker, only not as sweet. Of course my wheels started churning about creating a gluten-free graham cracker from whatever their hidden little secret was in this yummy cracker. Someone at our table asked, and sure enough, it was a flour I had never used: Mesquite flour. I did a little research and found out the flour is made from the pods of the mesquite tree, which is native throughout the arid climates of North America and Peru. It contains a rich amount of fiber, protein, and minerals. If you are interested in giving this recipe a try, you can purchase the mesquite flour by clicking on the link below.
The flour is ground very fine, similar to cocoa powder. Mesquite flour ranges from $8-$18 for a one pound bag, which seems expensive, but will last you a long time because it represents about an eighth to a quarter of the mixed flours used in a recipe, mainly due to the fact the mesquite flavor is quite strong.
I created this recipe using a blend of almond meal flour, tapioca starch, and mesquite. I actually made two recipes for the gluten-free graham crackers at the same time; one gluten-free and the other gluten and dairy free. I will post both options for you, but the gluten-free only recipe did have a better outcome. Not that the dairy-free version didn’t work, because it did, but my non-gluten sensitive husband and ever faithful taster, who eats graham crackers regularly, preferred the gluten-free graham crackers.
Blending the flours with butter (or coconut oil if using the dairy-free recipe) helps form a soft ball that is easy to roll. Just be sure to put the ball between two pieces of parchment paper so it doesn’t stick to your rolling-pin.
Gluten-Free Graham Crackers
Print recipe
| Serves | 16 |
| Prep time | 20 minutes |
| Cook time | 12 minutes |
| Total time | 32 minutes |
| Dietary | Gluten-free |
| Meal type | Dessert, Snack |
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup Almond Meal (Ultra-fine)
- 1/2 cup Tapioca Starch
- 1/3 cup Mesquite Flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1/2 cup Butter ((substitute coconut oil if making dairy-free))
- 1/3 cup Coconut Palm Sugar ((may substitute brown sugar))
- 1 tablespoon Honey
- 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt
Directions
| Step 1 | |
| Preheat oven to 350. In medium size mixing bowl add almond meal, tapioca starch, mesquite flour, salt, and cinnamon. Blend well and set aside. | |
| Step 2 | |
| Place butter (or coconut oil if making dairy-free), coconut palm sugar and honey into a mixer with paddle and mix until ingredients are nice and fluffy. | |
| Step 3 | |
| Reduce speed to low and slowly add the gluten-free flour blend to the creamed mixture. Mix until all flour is blended and dough forms. | |
| Step 4 | |
| Place the ball of dough between two sheets of parchment paper. Roll with a rolling pin to an 1/8" thick. Remove top layer of parchment paper. | |
| Step 5 | |
| Place a heavy piece of plastic or other straight edge as a guide along the rolled out dough. Using a pizza cutter, cut four rows in both directions making 16 crackers. Poke holes into the crackers with a fork. | |
| Step 6 | |
| Lift parchment paper with dough onto a cookie sheet and place in preheated oven. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until crackers are a golden brown. | |
| Step 7 | |
| Allow crackers to cool before separating. Store in an airtight container for up to one week. | |
I also shared this recipe on the following blogs: GlutenfreeHomeMaker, VegetarianMamma, AllergyFreeAlaska, RealFoodForager, LadyBehindTheCurtain, AllergyFreeAlaska
I am vegan, not necessarily GF, but it is super hard to find Vegan Graham Crackers in a normal store. This recipe would work, substituting where needed.
I’m so glad to have helped, Megan. They are not difficult to make, and oh so easy to gobble up. Enjoy!
This is great! I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for offering alternatives to coconut. My daughter is allergic and we can not have it in the house. It’s so frustrating when I see a great recipe and no substitute for coconut.
THANKS!
Ingrid
You are very welcome, Ingrid! I hope you and your daughter enjoy these graham crackers. They didn’t last long in my home!
I am also allergic to all tree nuts. What could I use in place of the almond flour?
I would substitute 2/3 part extra fine brown rice flour and 1/3 part sorghum in place of the almond flour. It would be interesting to know if you would be allergic to the mesquite as well. I don’t believe it is the tree nut family, but definitely something to look into as the flour is ground from the pods of the mesquite tree.
I am wondering what is the texture of mesquite flour? can another g-f flour be substituted?
Hi Sarah, the texture of Mesquite flour is similar to tapioca or potato starch. What is unique about using mesquite flour is the flavor. The first time I tasted it I instantly thought of graham crackers, so to remove this flour from the recipe and use another will definitely change the taste of them. That being said, if I were to exchange, I would substitute the mesquite with potato starch (which now takes it out of the paleo realm) and add 1 tsp of molasses. If you are paleo, you may try visiting an international market and look for sweet potato starch. Let me know if you try this and it turns out well for you.
This is such wonderful information to have! I’ve been toying with the idea of making graham GF (although obviously impossible haha) – this looks like the next best/or even better thing!
Thank you, Michelle! They are a tasty little treat and easy to make. I was thinking they would make a great pie crust as well. Happy baking!
My mother is going to LOVE this recipe!!! I just found you through Gluten-Free Wednesdays. Can’t wait to share this with my mom! Thanks!!
You’re welcome, Heather! I am glad to be of help.
I like this idea. I miss Nabisco’s glutened graham crackers! If I buy the mesquite flour on amazon, the smallest bag is 1 LB. Will you provide me with more ideas that use this flour?
Thanks for the graham cracker recipe.
Hi Jeannette, you can make a delicious cracker using this same recipe, only omit any sugar or honey and substitute with 1/2 tsp sea salt and 1 tsp Italian seasoning or your favorite herb such as rosemary. It may also be used in bread recipes, especially if you are making a gluten free pumpernickel. I hope to be creating a few more recipes soon that contain mesquite flour, because I have a little less than a pound in my cupboard too!